Control mechanism for pressing machines



Sept. 5, 1939. c; s. MALOTT. JR

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR PRESSING MACHINES Filed Aug. 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J W RT 8 0T v a To N NAIH %R E 0 VM N w I /A Sept. 5, 1939. c. s. MALOTT. JR

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR PRESSING MACHINES Filed Aug. 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CLIFTON S. MALOTT JR.

' the press parts from the full line position to Patented Sept. 5, 1939 I I iJNlTED STATES PATENT OFFliIE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR PRESSING MACHINES Clifton S. Malott, J12, Norwood, Ohio, assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwocd, Ohio, a corpcration of Ohio Application August 1, 1938, Serial No. 222,333

9 Claims. (01. 192-131) This invention relates to improvements in monly used in laundry and garment work. This control mechanism for pressing machines, parcomprises a frame I2 supporting a pressing bed ticularly in a control of the two-hand safety I3 and pivotally supporting a yoke 14 adapted type. upon oscillation to carry head l into and out of This application is a continuation in part of engagement with bed 13 upon actuation of toggle 5* my copending application Serial No. 164,455, filed 16 by motor IT. A spring 18 normally maintains September 18, 1937. the head in open position.

An object of the present invention is to pro- Control means is provided for supplying power vide in a power actuated pressing machine conto motor I! and this control means is arranged trol means for the power means and two-hand to be actuated by two safety manuals so spaced 10.-

safety manual means for actuating the control on the frame of the machine as to require a hand means, said manual means being arranged to of the operator on each of them for their conload a spring means when the manuals are first joint operation. Various structures are possible actuated so that the spring means is available for arranging such a two-hand control for the to return the manual means to unoperated posicontrol means for motor ii. In the form shown tion. The control mechanism provides means I have provided a pair of valve casings if! and actuated when the press is safely closed for un- 26 housing valves both of which must be operated loading the spring means, whereupon the manual to effectively supply fluid to motor I l. The strucmeans remains in operated position and the ture is similar in the two casings and one only press remains closed. will be described, the parts of the other being Another object of the invention is to provide given similar suffixes. Casing l9 houses a nornovel means for insuring the return of both mally closed inlet valve I90. and a normally open manuals of a safety two-hand control to inoperao tlet valve lob, both operable by actuation of v p i n af a pressing p i n has n valve stem 19c which has a yieldable end lfid.

completed and the press has n p Upon actuation of the valves in both casings, 51-

y nv nt n p ss s not only the above fluid is supplied through conduits 2!, 22 and mentioned structure for the purposes mentioned to motor If the va1ves in either asing are but the details 0f the control mechanism Shown unoperated or in their normal position as shown in the drawings and described in the specificain Fig 2, fund will not be supplied and the motor .ition, the essential features of which are set forth H will not be actuated 3oinfhe claimsfl Manual means is provided for actuating the in F drawlegs, 1 an of valves in each casing, one manual being indicated pressmg machme embodymg my mwntlon the at and the other at 26. As the structure conparts being Shown in fun lines in Open position nected with these manuals is identical, one only .in dot-dash lines in safe closed position, and will be described in dash lines in fully closed position; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the control mechanism of the press of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the manuals and associated parts of Fig. 2 with the manual return means shown diagrammatically; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of one of the manual controls of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. 2 showing the operated position of the parts adapted to move Manual 25 is rigidly connected with a sleeve 25a. which is rotatably mounted on a suitably supported shaft 251;. Also rotatably mounted on the shaft is a member 250 which has a recess 25d 25c has one end connected to the member 250 and the other end connected to member 25a. The arrangement of the spring is such that movement of the manual from the unoperated the dot dash position of Fig 1; Fig 6 is a front position of Fig. 3 to the operated position of Fig. elevation of the manual means of Fig 5; Fig 7 6 loads the spring 256 so long as the end thereof is a diagrammatic View of the control mecha is held by the detent 21 acting through the memnism in position corresponding to the dash line ber The Sleeve has a cam portion position of the drawings of Fig. 1; while Fig. 3 adapted to engage the Valve Stem led t9 mQVe 5 is m; elevation of t manual means of the valves in casing is to actuated position. A Fig. '7. Stop 28 engages lugs 29 and 3!] to determine the While my control mechanism is applicable to unoperated and operated position of the manual many types of pressing machines, I have illusrespectively. The parts connected with manual for receiving a detent member 21. A spiral spring trated the same as applied to a machine com- 26 for engaging valve stem 2601 to actuate the r valves in casing 20 are exactly the same as those just described.

Means is provided for withdrawing the detents 21 from the recesses 25d and 23d when the press reaches safe closed position as shown in the dot-dash lines of Fig. 1. The means shown comprises the mounting of the detents rigidly on shaft 3! which is provided with an arm 32 pivotally connected with rod 33. This rod passes through a slotted bracket lfia on toggle IS. The rod is provided with collars 33a and 33b and a spring 34 normally biases the 'detents 2'! toward the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

Means is provided for insuring that both manuals return to inoperative position upon opening of the press. Each manual has associated with it power means for returning the manual to inoperative position. For instance, manual 25 is connected by rod 35a with servomotor 35, and manual 26 in connected by red 33% with servomotor 36. Conduit 3?, connecting the two servomotors, is connected by conduit 33 with Valve casing 39. This casing houses a normally closed inlet valve 40, and is connected with a source of pressure fluid 4i. Means is provided for momentarily opening valve 3 as the press opens. To this end the toggle knuckle carries a pivoted bellcrank Q2 which has a downwardly extending arm 52a adapted to engage the stem of valve it. .As the press closes and the toggle straightens, the bellcrank turns idly in a counterclockwise direction. As the press opens and the toggle moves toward the full line position of Fig. 1, the bellcrank is held from turning by engagement with a portion of the toggle knuckle. Arm 42a momentarily depresses the valve stem, opening valve ii) and sending a shot of fluid to servomotors 35 and 33. This returns manual 25 or 23 to the position of Fig. 3 if either of them was left in operated position.

With the press parts in the full line position of Fig. 1, and the control mechanism in the position of Fig. 2, the operator arranges the Work on the pressing bed I3 and actuates manuals 25 and 26 in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 5. As previously described the manuals must be jointly operated to eiiectively supply fluid to motor H. The press will then start to close but in the position of the parts as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 if either of the manuals is released springs 256 or 26c will be effective to return the released manual to the position of Fig. 3, permitting the press to open. However, upon the parts reaching .55 1 the safe closed position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1, the collar 33a is engaged by bracket 16a, moving rod 33 in a manner to withdraw detents 2'! from their coacting recesses. This permits the ends of springs 25c and 26a which are connected with members 25c and 260 to move in a direction to unload springs 25c and 262. These springs are therefore no longer efiective on manuals 25 and 2'6, whereupon the manuals may be released in the position of Figs. '7 and 8 and the press will remain closed. To open the press either manual is returned to the position of Fig. 3, whereupon the cam 25 or 261 releases the valve stem l9d or 23d, permitting the valves in casing IE or 20 to return to the position of Fig. 2, evacuating the motor I? and permitting the press to open. As the press opens bellcrank 42 opens valve to cause a stroke of either servornotor 35 or 36 to return either manual from operated to inoperative position.

What I claim is:

1. In a pressing machine having coacting rela-- tively movable pressing members and power means for actuating them, a control member for said power means, a manual movable between unoperated and operated positions for causing movement of said control member from power cut-01f to power supply positions respectively, a spring operatively connected with said manual for loading by movement of said manual to operated position, said spring having a movable anchorage for holding it in loaded position, and means responsive to a movement of a pressing member for controlling movement of said anchorage in a direction to unload said spring.

2. In a pressing machine having coacting relatively movable pressing members and power means for actuating them, control means for said power means, manual means movable between unoperated and operated positions for causing movement of said control means from power cutoff to power supply positions respectively, said manual means being arranged to require conjoint use of both hands of an operator for movement to operated position, spring means operatively connected with said manual means for loading by movement of said manual means to operated position, said spring means having a movable anchorage for holding it in loaded position, and means responsive to movement of said pressing members to safe-closed position for controlling movement of said anchorage in a direction to up. load said spring means.

3. In a pressing machine having coacting relatively movable pressing members and power means for actuating them, control means for said power means, manual means movable between unoperated and operated positions for causing movement of said control means from power out-oil to power supply positions respectively, said manual means comprising two manuals spaced to require a hand of the operator on each of them for their conjoint operation, said manual means and control means being so related that conjoint operation of both manuals is necessary for movement of said control means to power supply position, each manual having a spring for returning it to unoperated position, each spring being arranged for loading by movement of its associated manual tooperated position, each spring having a movable anchorage for holding it in loaded position, and means responsive to movement of said pressing members to safeclosed position for controlling movement of said anchorages in a direction to unload said springs.

4. In a pressing machine having coacting relatively movable pressing members and power means for actuating them, control means for said power means, manual means movable between unoperated and operated positions for causing movement of said control means from power cut-off to power supply positions respectively, said manual means comprising two manuals spaced to require a hand of the operator on each of them for their conjoint operation, said manual means and control means being so related that conjoint operation of both manuals is necessary for movement of said control means to power supply position, each manual having a spring for returning it to unoperated position, each spring having one end fastened to its associated manual and having its other end held by a releasable anchorage so that each spring is loaded by movement of its associated manual to operated position, and means responsive to movement -of-said pressing members to safeclosed position for releasing said releasable anchorages.

5. In a pressing machine having coacting relatively movable pressing members and power means for causing relative movement thereof, a pair of control members for said power means normally in power cut-oiT position and both of which must be moved to power supply position for actuating said power means, a manual for each control member which when in operated position will hold its associated control member in power supply position, spring means adapted to return each manual to unoperated position and arranged to be loaded by movement of said manuals to operated position, said spring means having movable anchoring means for holding it loaded, and means responsive to movement of said pressing members to safe-closed position for controlling movement of said anchoring means in a direction to unload said spring means.

6. In a pressing machine having coacting relatively movable pressing members and power means for causing a pressing action between them, control means for said power means, manually operated means movable between unoperated and operated positions for causing movement of said control means from power cut-off to power supply positions respectively, said manually operated means being arranged to require conjoint use of both hands of an operator for movement to operated position, springs means arranged normally to return said manually operated means to unoperated position, and means responsive to movement of said pressing members to safe-closed position for rendering said spring means ineffective to return said manually operated means to unoperated position, whereby said manually operated means may be released and said control means will remain in power supply position.

7. A pressing machine as in claim 5, including a power device for each manual operatively connected therewith for returning said manual to unoperated position, and means responsive to opening movement of said pressing members for supplying power to said devices.

8. In a pressing machine having a pair of coacting pressing members and power means for operating the same, control mechanism for said power means including two control members each of which is adapted when in inoperative position to control movement of said power means in press-opening direction, two spaced safety manuals, one respectively for actuating each control member between its operative and inoperative positions, power actuated means for causing movement of each control member to inoperative position, and means responsive to opening movement of said pressing members for supplying power to said power actuated means.

9. In a pressing machine having coacting relatively movable pressing members and power means for actuating them, a control member for said power means, a manual movable between unoperated and operated positions for causing movement of said control member from power cut-off to power supply positions respectively, energy storing means adapted to store energy therein by movement of said manual from unoperated to operated position, whereupon said stored energy is effective for causing a return movement of said manual, and means responsive to a movement of a pressing member for releasing the energy stored in said last named means whereby the latter becomes inefiective for causing return movement of said manual.

CLIFTON S. MALOT'I, JR. 

